IPCC says we can do it

Blogpost by Andrew - 4 May, 2007 at 20:41

The latest IPCC report came out today. This is part of a six year process involving thousands of scientists. As Climate Progress points out:

This report has to be signed off on by 120 governments, including the United States, and oil countries like Saudi Arabia. And they can veto any word. So you can take to the bank anything that all those countries agree to.

If you like going straight to the source, you can read the IPCC summary for policy makers on their site (pdf). Our (somewhat shorter) take on it is here.

The report says clearly that we have the means to reduce our global warming emissions. It doesn't specify exactly how since that's not the IPCC's job. They publish the facts and options. Politicians and the rest of us need to decide what to do with them.

A lot of news outlets are running an Associate Press story focusing on the issues of cost and feasibility:

The document made clear that nations have the technology and money to decisively act in time to avoid a sharp rise in temperatures that scientists say would wipe out species, raise ocean levels, wreak economic havoc and trigger droughts in some places and flooding in others.

The Greenpeace team at the meeting was bolstered by 36 youth activists from SolarGeneration. They brought their, "Don't drown our future" message directly to the IPCC chair and other high ranking officials. They also visited a Thai village already suffering from coastal erosion and storm surges. First hand accounts on the SolarGeneration blog, and CoolThePlanet blog.